1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hydrostatic drive axle with two hydrostatic axial piston motors utilizing a swashplate design located next to each other, the control sides of which are facing each other. Tubular terminal segments of the drive axle are in the form of housings for the axial piston motors and are shaped and fixed on a center segment in which there is a common control base mounting for both axial piston motors.
2. Technical Considerations
A generic drive axle is described as one of two exemplary embodiments in DE 103 03 636 A1. In that case, the individual components of the drive axle are located in a load-bearing axle tube and are fastened in the axle tube. The two axial piston motors are supplied with hydraulic fluid through channels in a three-part control base seat, the components of which are inserted individually into the center segment of the drive axle, where they are connected with one another. As a result of which, the control base seat is simultaneously fastened inside the drive axle. The control base seat is secured against rotation by hydraulic connection sockets oriented radially and are inserted from outside through the axle tube through radial recesses in the center piece of the control base seat.
Mounted one on each side of the control base seat are disc-shaped, relatively thin control bases into which control nodules are incorporated, which interact in a known manner with the cylinder blocks of the two axial piston motors.
It is an object of the invention to provide a drive axle of the general type described above but in which the construction and installation are simplified.